In
the years following independence, a lot of attention has been poured on
the museums by the government, mainly as a way of weaving and reinforcing
national identity. Museums serving the Soviet ideology are now themselves
part of history. E.g. the Lenin museum now houses the magnificent collection
of the Museum of Carpet-Making and Folk Crafts, previously located at the
Djuma Mosque in the Old Town. Sign of the times!

Azerbaijan
also has a tradition of "house museums", the former houses of the famous
and powerful now open to the occasional visitor and mainly of interest
to the researcher with a specific interest. Some house museums host interesting
event but most tend to be rather dull and repetitive, on the other hand
most are free.